7 Bad Management Traits That Will Make Your Employees Quit

By Steven Tulman | Small Business

7 Bad Management Traits That Will Make Your Employees Quit

In addition to knowing what it takes to be a good manager, it is also crucial that you know what traits make your employees want to leave your company as well. After all, if you don’t know what you’re doing that is making them run from you, you won’t know what to avoid.

Here are a few things that managers do that makes employees start sprucing up their resumes and look for a way out.

Lying

Employees want honesty in the office. They do not want their managers to fabricate stories, even if they’re doing so to explain bad news. Good leaders do not hide behind lies or make excuses. They have integrity and are able to communicate effectively with their staff.

This is true with how management interacts with staff as well as how they speak to clients and just about everyone else in the company. Once you start lying, you lose the trust (and respect) of your staff.

Micromanagement

Inspire your employees to work hard because it benefits them and the company. Do not hover over them and make sure that they are always working. Do not correct them the moment they do something you would not have done. Fear is not a good way to inspire your staff.

It is important to give your employees the opportunity to think for themselves and room to work in their own style. If you are constantly smothering them and pointing out how and when to complete tasks, you will create a hostile work environment and send them running for the door.

For the record, the same is true for any interpersonal relationship, not just at the office, but that is a whole different kind of article.

Being a Know-it-All

Employees have ideas too and those ideas are usually worth considering. If you constantly insist that it is “your way or the highway,” you are going to end up with a lot of your staff taking the next exit and choosing a different road to travel on.

Listen to ideas from employees, seriously consider them and, if the idea improves upon the current practice, let the employee know that and consider making a change. Giving employees a chance to be heard will show them that they are a part of the team.

If you end up making the change, be sure to give credit to those that deserve it. Do not pass off the idea as being your own if it is not.

Secrecy

If you are hiding things from you staff, you are treating them like children. They are not children. There are very few aspects of a company that must remain confidential at all times. When you hide things from your team, you show them that you do not trust them. Whatever you are hiding will likely come out anyway, so why not present it yourself and earn the respect of your staff?

Being Indecisive

Leaders make decisions. They are not afraid to take a stand and reap the rewards or face the consequences of their decisions. Delaying a decision or avoiding conflict due to inaction will weaken your entire team. Even if the decision you make is an unpopular one, it is better to make it than to run away from it. If it is the right decision, make it and be honest with your team about it.

Trying to be a Friend, not a Leader

You should know your staff as people. You should understand their differences and recognize what inspires and motivates them. You should respect them and they should respect you. You should be approachable. But it is also important that you be their manager as well. Sometimes leaders make unpopular decisions. Sometimes managers need to break bad news. Sometimes managers need to let a staff member know that they are not performing up to standards and explore what needs to be done to improve the situation. If you avoid these situations because you want your employees to like you, you are hurting the company and hurting your employees’ chances of success.

The same is true with playing favorites You will naturally have more in common with some staff members than with others, but you cannot play favorites Including some employees in your inner circle or giving certain people better treatment than others will hurt your team and cause your employees to leave the company.

Not Trusting Anyone

You have to trust your staff. They are adults. They are trained in their jobs. They know what is expected from them and If you do not trust them to perform simple tasks or if you are over-suspicious of how they are spending their time, they will grow to resent you. If the problem is in your management skills or style, then do what you have to to become a better and more effective manager. If the problem is truly in their abilities and performance, then help them improve if possible or hire someone else if they are not the right fit for the job. Do not constantly hover over them and question every move they make.

This is true when it comes to delegating tasks as well. If you insist on doing all of the work yourself, you are showing your employees that you do not trust them to complete important tasks. Sometimes you need to believe in your employees and know that you can delegate certain tasks to them. If you do not, you will not have most of these employees for very long, nor will they be very motivated to perform well while you do have them.

At the end of the day, as a manager it is your responsibility to surround yourself with the right people to help you grow and improve your portion of the business. These people will help determine whether you flourish in your career and business, or fail. You need to keep them happy, engaged, and provide them with the tools they need to perform their jobs as effectively as possible. Avoid these negative traits and you will have an easier time climbing the ladder to success.

Do you possess any of these 7 deadly management traits or are there others that you feel should be highlighted?